Valverde joins Movistar’s Vuelta squad on a rest day ride

The Spaniard was forced to abandon the Tour following the individual time trial in Dusseldorf on July 1 after crashing heavily in wet conditions.

Valverde underwent emergency surgery to repair the fracture, having also sustained a deep cut in his leg. After five days in hospital the 37-year-old returned home and was not expected to be back on a bike again this year.

However, Valverde was alongside his Movistar team-mates during their rest-day ride at the 2017 Vuelta, albeit with his knee heavily taped.

“I started to ride the bike before I could walk,” Valverde said. “The first month was the worst, later I worked a lot. I am not completely recovered, evidently, and I have a strange sensation in the leg, but I feel good.”